COLORADO SPRINGS — A witness tells authorities that an accidental fatal shooting by a Fort Carson soldier was a joke that turned deadly.

The Gazette reports 21-year-old Pfc. Isaac James Klippert, of Yakima, Wash., faces charges of manslaughter, first-degree assault and prohibited use of a weapon in the killing Saturday of 25-year-old Cesar Diaz.

Court records show Klippert posted $25,000 bail on Monday.

According to the arrest affidavit, Klippert says he did not mean to shoot Diaz. It says Klippert told police he grabbed what he thought was an empty gun, racked the slide and pulled the trigger while pointing it at Diaz.

Friend and witness Brandon Rock told police the three often “play jokes on each other” because they’re “young, dumb and in the military.”

Denver Sheriff Patrick Firman's resignation this week culminated years of mistrust from deputies and community activists, who said that was the price of filling the position with a man who was never the right person for the job.